Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Journal

Monday

Front Squat – Three Rep Max

I decided to try and set a new PR for this lift. My previous 3RM was 275 lb. and I wanted at least 10 lb. increase. Warm up felt good but the weight felt heavy around 225 lb. I haven’t been doing many front squats which is probably why it felt different. I loaded my goal weight 285 lb. and started my attempt. The first rep felt very heavy but I was able to stand it up. The second rep felt heavier and my breathing was not great. I tried to catch my breath and started my last rep. I made it to parallel before I had to drop the bar. After catching my breath and thinking about the lifts I needed to fix my breathing and my bracing. My core was a little loose on that last rep.

After a few minutes I grabbed the bar and tried again. Hopefully the adjustments would be enough. The first rep felt just as heavy but I managed to stand it up without too much issues. The second rep felt better than the last attempt, the breathing and core bracing changes worked. The last rep was the hardest and I barely made the lift. My elbows dropped and it felt like my biceps were stabilizing the weight. Thankfully, I made the lift but that last rep felt “ugly”. I need to work on form before trying this again.

After my front squat max, I wasn’t feeling great about doing this workout. Heavy squats and running are not my strong suit. My concern for this workout was the back squats since we had to start from the ground. Cleaning the weight multiple times was not going to be efficient so I had to do the squats unbroken. The run was going to suck but that was a given.
The first round was okay. The run was normal but the squat took a lot of effort. I broke up the reps into 11 and 10. I probably should have went with sevens. After that first round my legs were on fire and my lower back was tight as well. The second round was almost the same. I broke up the squats into sets of five. The last round was the hardest. The weight was heavy and I missed the jerk. I had to reset and take a few breaths before trying it again. After the squats, I was exhausted and my legs hated me. I had to finish the run though and after 400 m I finished the workout in 17:30.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 6×6 at 60% (244 lb.)

Squat maintenance day, nothing crazy.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes

15 Burpees
20 Overhead Squats (115 lb.)
30 Sit Ups
Run (100 m)

I did this workout with my wife and it was a lot of fun. We broke up the reps in half for all movements and alternated on the run. We kept a good pace on the movements. The burpees and sit ups went by quickly. The overhead squats took a bit more time because we broke it up into sets of five. We did it at a steady pace and pushed each other until the end. We finished this workout with four rounds and 30 sit ups.

Thursday

Strict Press – 8×4 at 70% (115 lb.)

I haven’t done much strict press lately and this weight felt heavy. I took a few minutes in between sets to rest. At the sixth set, it started getting very heavy. I was struggling on the third rep and almost missed the fourth rep on set seven and eight.

WOD – 18 Minute Time Cap

Ground to Overhead – 10,000 lb.

I did this workout back in 2014 and posted a short description of the workout on the blog. It was also my first POST! My previous time for this workout was 19:45, 15 seconds under the time cap. This time around, the time cap is 18 minutes. If I finish the workout, it will be a PR. My set up will also be the same. I’m going to do the workout with a 100 lb. bar and the sets will be 10×10. I will be doing the reps with a clean and jerk instead of a snatch. If I did snatches, I’ll definitely gas out.

The workout started well. I did 10 reps unbroken for at least four sets. At set five, I had to break up the reps into two sets of five. My shoulders and triceps were burning making the jerk harder to cycle. This slowed me down considerably and I stayed at this rep scheme until the end of the workout. At set nine I was getting very tired but I wanted to finish as quickly as possible. I decided to snatch the last five reps and managed to do them unbroken. I finished this workout at 16:10, 3:35 better than the last time!

Tuesday

Power Snatch – Find your 1RM

My last power snatch and snatch PR was at 172 lb. (78 kg). After not training snatches, I wanted to at least reach that weight if not hit a new PR. I warmed up with about three singles at each weight interval. I focused on form and movement throughout all the positions. As the weight got heavier, I took longer rests between sets.

I was able to complete 60 kg and 65 kg fairly easily. Once I reached 70 kg, it started to get challenging. I had to squat a little lower at this weight as I tried not to “starfish”. At 75 kg, I was able to complete two singles, then I attempted 80 kg. I missed my first attempt. I was able to get the weight overhead but I caught it too far forward. I made some mental adjustments and went for the next rep. I was able to get under the bar but I landed in a “starfish”. I also had a slight press out. I decided to stop there since my form was starting to deteriorate but I at least have a new training pr!

WOD – AMRAP, 9 Minutes

10 Dumbbell Snatch, Alternating (50 lb.)
Run (100 m)

After speaking to a few members in the previous class, I decided to shoot for eight rounds. The average was about seven to nine rounds and I was shooting for the middle. I was going to try and keep my pace to one round a minute and try to hold on until the end. The dumbbell weight shouldn’t be a problem, I’ve done dumbbell snatches before at that weight. The run would probably be a bit difficult but it was short.

At the start of the workout, everything went smooth. The dumbbell snatches were not giving me a problem and the run was okay. I was able to keep my pace until the fifth round. The dumbbell snatches were a little slower than previous rounds, and my run was slower as well. I could feel my lower back tightening up, which means my running form was not good. I powered though it and was only able to finish seven rounds and 80 meters on the run. I was 20 meters short of my goal! I was happy with the result since I pushed as hard as I could.

Friday

Back Squat – 7×5 at 75% (275 lb.)

After not working out the whole week, I start up with back squats. The programming calls for 75% + 10 – 15 lb. increase from the last week. I haven’t been squating lately so I stay at my actual 75%. After warm ups I get to the bar and start my first set. I was able to control the weight on the decent but was slow on the ascent. I was trying to be more explosive but I could stand up quick enough. After a few more sets, my legs warmed up and I was able to be quicker. I was only able to finish six out of seven sets at 75% because of time limitations. Great squat day and I’m feeling more confident.

After the squat session, I knew this workout was going to suck. My legs were going to be working hard for the next 10 minutes. The double unders were going to give me a hard time as well as the wall balls. The power cleans were going to be okay since it’s a light weight for me to cycle.

I was able to complete 75 unbroken double unders before my arms started to tire. It was hard to string reps after. I would be able to complete up to 10 reps before I would trip again or I would stop because my arms couldn’t keep going. I finished the double under, three minutes into the workout and started on the “hard part” of the workout.

I hate wall balls and they were the first movement after the double unders. My strategy was to break up the wall balls and power cleans into sets of two. The wall balls were slow and steady. I would take a few seconds between each set to catch my breath and try to get back to the movement quickly. The power cleans were the same. After the first round, I could feel the exhaustion catching up to me and would take more rest in between sets. It was tough and I finished with two rounds and 13 wall balls. I was shooting for three rounds but I wasn’t able to get there. Fun workout for the week.

I haven’t been doing a lot of posts lately. I just got back from the Philippines and I have a lot of stuff to do for the holidays. I’m trying to catch up with all my posts and I’m starting with my workout week. If you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Back Squat – 6×6 at 70% (275 lb.)

We started a new back squat cycle and I’m pumped. I really want to get my squat up to 400 lb. but I haven’t been putting in the work. At the end of the cycle I want to at least hit a new PR, even if it’s only five pounds.

I worked up to 275 lb. slowly. I haven’t been squatting heavy and wanted a good warm up before putting on some heavy weight. Surprisingly, the squats felt good but not light. It took a lot of focus and concentration. I did notice some hip shift in the later sets which is something that I’ll need to correct. Overall, great squat session.

I almost scaled this workout to 30 or 40 lb. The weight was a little heavy for my left arm but I thought I could get through it. The run was going to be the longest portion of this workout. I was able to go through the right arm thrusters unbroken. When doing the left arm thrusters, I had to break up the reps. Like my squat, I have to work on my muscle imbalance. The run sucked but I kept a good pace and tried to catch my breath during the run. I finished three rounds and two right arm thrusters.

Tuesday

WOD 1 – For Time, 6 Minute Time Cap

3 Rounds

10 Deadlifts (275 lb.)
50 Double Unders

Like most workouts, it’s the cardio that’s going to kill me and those double unders look scary. The deadlifts seemed a bit heavy but I should be able to get through it in two sets each round. I warmed up a bit for the deadlifts before the workout started. I forgot how heavy 275 lb. felt, I wasn’t worried however since this is only about 65% of my 1RM.

I was able to get through the deadlifts in sets of five and go unbroken on the double unders in the first round. It only took about a minute to finish. The second and third sets were a lot harder. I had to take a few seconds in between sets. I kept missing my double unders and it took a lot time to string more together. At the time cap I was ten reps into the last round of double unders.

WOD 2 – AMRAP 6 Minutes

5 Pull Ups
7 Burpees
9 Double Unders

We had a two minute break before starting this workout. I am more comfortable with these movements and I wasn’t too worried. The hardest movement was going to be the burpees. I was still tired from the previous workout but I was able to get an okay start. I went through all the movements without much trouble but I had to take a few seconds in between movements. The burpees were the worst part. I moved at a very slow pace but I didn’t stop to catch my breath. I was able to go through all the pull ups and double unders unbroken. I was shooting for six rounds, trying to do this workout like an EMOM, but that didn’t go as plan. I finished this workout with four rounds and two pull ups.

This is going to be a long post. I worked out for five days straight. I’ll try not to bore you and if you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Overhead Squat Complex – Find a Heavy 1 Rep

Behind the neck push jerk + overhead squat

I treated this as an overhead squat max. I usually push jerk to get the weight overhead. My goal for this was to complete at least 200 lb. After warm up, I was able to complete lifts at 185 lb. and 200 lb. The lifts felt good and decided to try 220 lb., five pounds below my current PR. After a minute of rest, I attempted the lift and was able to complete it. I decided to call it a day. I was happy with my lift.

Hang Snatch – 3×3 at 75% (130 lb.)

I was riding my high completing the overhead squat and went directly into the hang snatches. 130 lb. is heavy for me but I used straps to keep my grip in tact. I had one miss in the first set. I took a breath and focused. I was able to complete the next nine reps without a miss. Not bad for snatches.

Strict Press – 3×5 at 65% (110 lb.)

After all the strict press work we have been doing, this was a piece of cake. Had no issues.

Back Squat – 3×5 at 75% (264 lb.)

I didn’t need a warm up for this and went into it quickly. I haven’t been squatting heavy so this took some effort. It was a tough three rounds but I got through it quickly.

Tuesday

Overhead Squat – Find a 3RM

I was a bit sore from Monday but I was going to try and set a new PR today. I started with 135 lb. and worked up to 185 lb. before thinking of my next few weights. I decided to lift 195 lb. and then jump to 209 lb. to try and set a new PR. I was able to finish three reps but they were a struggle. I was able to PR my overhead squat by four pounds. Not a large number but I’m happy with it.

WOD – Double Under Nancy

5 Rounds

50 double unders
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

I did this workout three years ago. I scaled to using only the bar which took me 14:26. This time around, I wanted to PR my time as well as the weight. After doing the overhead squat session, I was feeling good. I was confident in my overhead squat but not the double unders. I didn’t want to push too hard and gas in the third or fourth round.

The workout started great, I was able to go unbroken on the double unders and the overhead squats for the first two rounds. Round three started to get tough. I was barely able to string 10-20 double unders before messing up. The overhead squats were starting to feel heavy. I was able to get five or six reps before setting the bar back on my back.

It was a grind to finish the fourth round but I almost gave up at the fifth. My legs were on fire and it me a few seconds to catch my breath. Around this time my wife finished her workout and walked over to me to give me some encouragement. I was able to get through the double unders and go unbroken on the overhead squats. The overhead squats were extremely difficult. I had to put all my focus into keeping my arms engaged and break through the pain. I almost lost it around rep seven or eight but I was able to save it. My arms were starting to go numb right when I finished the last rep. My total time was 13:21, 1:05 faster than my last time. Double PR for the day!

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×2 at 90% (205 lb.)

This was the heaviest I’ve gone in awhile. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad. I used a spotter but I didn’t have to be helped. It felt great.

Partner WOD – AMRAP, 16 Minutes

20 box jumps (24 in.)
15 deadlifts (225 lb.)
Handstand hold (30 sec.)

I did this partner workout with my wife and we scaled it. Instead of the handstand hold it was a 10m handstand walk. The scale was handstand holds which was more than enough to get our shoulders burning. We split the reps down the middle. Our goals for this workout was to complete six rounds.

The first three rounds went smooth but my partner and I were tired out. I under estimated the deadlifts and tired my best to keep up the intensity.We fell short of the six round goal and completed only five rounds.

Thursday

Clean Complex

Clean + Hang Clean + Clean

This was a fun complex but it was also frustrating. I couldn’t hold onto the bar during the hang portion of the complex at 215 lb. and decided to finish the workout. I have work on establishing the hook grip after the first clean. That should help with my grip issues. I was able to complete the complex at 205 lb.

Push Press – 4×5 at 65% (145 lb.)

At 65% I was able to finish this workout quickly. I focused on my front rack position and my finishing position

Back Squat + Jerk

3 back squat + behind the neck jerk

This was a difficult one because of the behind the neck jerk. I haven’t been practicing it that much and it felt a bit awkward. My limiting factor for this complex was going to be the jerk but I wanted to work up to 225 lb. I started off with a light weight, focusing on form and getting used to the movement. I started getting used to the movement but my form wasn’t great. I was able to reach my goal of 225 lb. but it wasn’t pretty. I had a slight press on jerk and I had to save it. Slowly getting back into these movements.

Friday

Strict Press – 5×6 at 65% (99 lb.)

I was able to get through this quickly. The last two rounds were tough but not too difficult.

Strict Press – 1×10 at 60% (88 lb.)

This burnout set was difficult. After the thirty reps my arms were tired. I was able to complete about eight reps at a touch and go pace before my arms were tired. I was able to finish the last two reps but they took a bit longer. 88 lb. never felt so heavy!

Partner WOD – AMRAP, 20 Minutes

4 muscle up
8 pistols
12 handstand push ups
Run (200 m)

I did this workout with my wife and we had a great time. I was able to do all the movements Rx but she had to scale. The reps were split in half and the worst part of this workout was the run, no surprise there.

The first few rounds started off great. The movements were challenging but I was able to get through them quickly. We started to slow down after round four. I was able to keep my same pace but my partner had to slow down a bit. I kept an okay pace for the rest of the workout but had to slow down on my partners reps. It was not a problem and my goal was to keep her moving and motivated. We survived the workout and finished with six rounds and a muscle up. Great partner workout!

Tuesday

I was able to get through these fairly quickly. 65% is not a light weight especially since I haven’t been squatting. I was able to get through it without any issues.

WOD – Alternating EMOM, 15 Minutes

20 Russian kettlebell swings (54 lb.)
15 calorie rows
10 burpees

This workout was intense. My goal was to complete all the reps each minute but I knew it was going to take a lot of effort. The hardest movement was going to be the 15 calorie row. That was going to take me at least 40 seconds to finish. The burpees were not going to be too bad and the kb swings were going to be manageable.

The first two rounds were rough. I was able to finish all the reps but the second round was a struggle to complete the 15 cals. on the rower. It took me about 50 seconds to finish the cals. Rounds three to five were the same. I was exhausted and I wasn’t able to complete all the reps. I would finish about 15 reps on the kb swings, 10-13 cals. on the rower and five to eight reps on the burpees. I pushed it as hard as I could.

Wednesday

Snatch – 3×2 at 85% (145 lb.)

Heavy snatch day. My snatches have not been that heavy lately and power not squat. Warmed up but was a little tight in my hips. My wrist was nagging me a bit but not too the point where it was too much. Once I hit 145 lb. I used straps. The first set of two was okay. I was extending too early. One of the guys I was working with told me to be patient and stay on my midfoot to heel. I changed up a bit and my lifts looked better. My wrist and forearm were starting to hurt but nothing too painful. The last two reps went well and my form improved.

Clean and Jerk – 3×2 at 85% (190 lb.)

Unlike snatches, I’m more comfortable with clean and jerks. It’s not as painful on my wrists unlike the snatch. After warming up to my 85% I was feeling good. My clean went well but I needed a lot of work on the jerk. I need to time the dip and drop better. I had some ugly lifts but I was able to save them. I’m sure I would have gotten two red lights on a jerk but I’m still learning. It was a great lifting session.

Front Squat – 2×3 at 85% (245 lb.)

I haven’t done heavy front squats in awhile and I wasn’t sure if I could reach my 85%. At least I didn’t need to warm up for this since we were front squatting during the clean and jerks. I loaded 245 lb. on the bar and it felt heavy. I also struggled a lot during this lift. My core has weakened and my breathing sucks. I was trying my best to keep my body upright but my shoulders would collapse at the bottom. It was a grind but I was able to finish.

Monday

Strict Press – Establish a 1RM

My heaviest strict press was around 155 about two years ago, I was able to do two reps. Last year I was able to lift 145 lb. for three. I was hoping to lift at least 145 lb. but I wasn’t confident. I loaded 95 lb. on the bar and started to warm up, adding 20 lb. until I reached 135 lb. I added on 10 lb. and attempted the lift. I was able to complete it, but barely. I knew 155 was going to be tough. I attempted the lift but was barely able to get it higher than a few inches off my shoulders. I racked the bar and waited a few minutes. I attempted a second lift and the bar went lower than the first attempt. I called it quits but I was happy with my result. I hope after this strength cycle, I’ll be able to lift 165 lb.

WOD – AMRAP 12 Minutes

12 box jumps
9 push press (50 kg.)
6 lateral burpee over bar

After my failed lifts on the strict press, it was time for a short amrap. Plans for the workout, jump for all box jumps, unbroken on push press and survive the burpees over bar. I wanted to finish at least five rounds. My pace for the workout would have to be 2:15 per round.

The first three rounds of the workout went well. I kept up with the pace and finished them under six minutes. The fourth round is where I hit a wall. I was breathing pretty hard at this point and too about 30 seconds to catch my breath. I slipped on one of the box jumps during this round but thankfully I didn’t hit my shins on the box. I focused on the movement and took a few deep breaths and continued. The push presses were not bad but my shoulder were wearing out. I had to break up the reps in the fifth round. The burpees were the worst. It was only six reps but they were the hardest six reps. I tried to hold the standard of taking off with two feet and landing with two feet but I would mess up and do a one legged hop over. I was frustrated and exhausted but I trudged on. I met my goal and finished this workout with five rounds and three box jumps, barely.

Tuesday

Snatch Complex – Three Position Snatch: Ground, Above Knee, Hip

I’m still working on the snatch. We did a heave one rep last week but I’m still a little rusty. I started at 40 kg and worked up to 65 kg. I felt pretty good throughout the positions but the hang is the hardest. My grip gives out during the pull. I attempted 70 kg but I missed on the hang.

WOD – For Time (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)

Power Snatch (95 lb.)
Overhead Squat (95 lb.)

This was going to be a difficult workout. 55 reps of snatches at 95 lb. was a lot, especially after the snatch complex. I planned to break up the snatch reps in half and go almost unbroken on overhead squats since it’s my stronger movement.

The power snatches from rounds 8-10 were broken up into two sets with 15 – 20 seconds in between sets. The overhead squats were done unbroken. By the round of seven, I could feel the fatigue set in. My lower back was starting to get tight and my shoulders were feeling weak. I started breaking the sets into three which took longer but I was able to keep a good pace. I felt like quitting around round five and I almost gave up. My wife and coaches pushed me and I finished the workout in 13:27.

Wednesday

Bench Press – Find a 1RM

The last time I did heavy bench presses was last year. It’s not a huge part of the programming at the box and I haven’t been doing it on my own. My last 1RM was 240 lb. and I didn’t know how well I was going to do that day. I did a typical warm up. Starting at 95 lb. and working up with 30 – 50 lb. increments. I maxed my bench press at 205 lb. which is 40 lb. lower than my previous max. I have to work back up to that number over the next few weeks.

WOD – Elizabeth, Time Cap – 10 Minutes

21-15-9

Clean (135 lb.)
Ring dips

This was going to be a tough workout. The last time I attempted this workout, I almost passed out. I haven’t been working on my dips but I wanted to do this Rx. I would push until I had to scale the ring dips. I decided to break up the reps into three sets of seven. The first round of 21 cleans went well. I was able to do the sets unbroken. The ring dips were a different story. I was able to complete seven reps but I was moving too slow. Given enough time, I would have been able to complete this workout Rx but I wanted to keep moving and finish most of the reps under time cap. Even the scaled ring dips were taking a toll on my arms. My arms were shot but I was able to finish 15 scaled dips when time cap was called. If I had another three minutes I would have been able to finish this workout. Need to work on my dips.

Tuesday

Back Squat – Find a Heavy Set of 5

My goal for this back squat session was to beat my numbers from last week. I lifted 120 kg. for five, so today I was shooting for 125 kg. I warmed up to 100 kg and added 10 kg each set. My form felt off but I focused and was able to do a few reps that felt better. I was able to lift 120 kg without much trouble but I did stick around the fifth rep. I added 5 kg and started my lifts. I was able to complete the first two reps without issue. The weight felt heavy at rep four and five but I was able to stand them up. I wasn’t confident enough to add more weight and stopped at 125 kg. I was able to reach my goal but I didn’t feel 100%.

WOD – Fight Gone Bad Style

5 Rounds, 1 Minute Per Station

Box Jumps
Wall Balls
Row (Cals.)Rest 1 Minute

After the heavy squats we had a killer leg workout. I knew the box jumps and wall balls were going to be the hardest movements to keep consistent. I didn’t want to scale the box jumps either. I wanted to make sure I jump and not step up.

I finished the first round with 16 box jumps, 17 wall balls, and 14 calories on the wall balls. I was shooting for a total of 50 reps. I came up short and it was tough to reach those numbers. I decided to lower my reps on the wall balls and box jumps and try to increase the calories on the rower. The next three rounds were 40, 34 and 38 reps. I couldn’t maintain the reps on the wall balls and box jumps. I would do a few and then rest for five seconds. My legs were on fire and I couldn’t push through it like I wanted to. After the third round I was dissatisfied with my score. I had to increase my intensity but I was already getting tired. I didn’t know if I would be able to increase my reps. I dug deep and I was able to increase my reps on the fourth round and in the fifth round I was able to complete 40 reps. I was exhausted but I was able to come back from giving up and finish the workout.

Wednesday

Snatch – Find a 1 Rep Heavy

I haven’t done heavy snatches in a while and my wrist was not 100%. My last heavy snatch and PR was at 171 lb. but I knew I wasn’t going to hit a number that close. My focus was to maintain good form and go as heavy as I could.

I started out at 40 kg and worked up to 60 kg. At 60 kg, I could feel the strain on my right wrist. I completed the lift and added 5 kg. I completed the lift but I had to struggle to save it. I was able to stand it up but I could still feel the pain in my wrist. I loaded another 5 kg on the bar and attempted a rep and failed. I wasn’t moving as quickly as I should have and it showed. I wasn’t able to get under the bar but I set up for another attempt. The next attempt was the same, a miss. I was dissappointed but I understood. I haven’t been doing heavy snatches and I’m not used to them. It’s going to take some time but I’ll be lifting at my previous weights.

Clean and Jerk Complex – 5×1 at 85% (90 kg)

2 Power Cleans + 1 Split Jerk

The percentage was taken from my power clean 1RM at about 104 kg. The power cleans were heavier than expected. I was able to complete the first rep quickly but the second rep took a lot more effort. The jerk felt awkward at first but by the third or fourth set, I was able to smooth out the lift.

Overall, my clean and jerks were better than my snatches. I’m not surprised, we have been doing more cleans and not a lot of snatch work. The barbell club programming is a lot of fun and will try and incorporate some of the lifting sessions with the classes.

Thursday

3 Position Power Clean – Find a 1 Rep Heavy

I haven’t done heavy power cleans in awhile, especially a three position clean. The last time was about two months ago with a final weight of 85 kg (187 lb.). My max has been 215 lb., about a year ago. I wasn’t super confident about the weight so I decided to focus more on technique.

Working up to a heavy set felt good and muscle memory took over. At 205 lb. the hardest lift was the hang power clean because of grip issues. The power and high hang positions were relatively easy. I failed the hang clean about twice before completing one. I was able to do the high hang clean easy which means I need to work on more grip and more hang cleans.

I hate wall balls! Which is why I should be working on them more. 100 reps is going to suck but like all workouts, I’ll just have to power through. The cleans looked easy but the wall balls were going to make them miserable.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to break up the reps for the wall balls. I was thinking, 15 reps and then 10. If I start to die out, I will switch to three sets of five with a minimal rest. At the start of the workout, I was able to hit my wall ball sets. The hang power cleans were fast, under 20 seconds. The second and subsequent sets of wall balls were much more difficult. I had to break them up and took much longer breaks in between. My legs and shoulder were on fire which made the cleans that much harder. It was tough and I didn’t do as well as I wanted. I was looking at eight to nine minutes but I finished in 11:18.

Friday

Back Squat – Find a 5 Rep Heavy

The coaches advised me to work up to 75% of my 1RM which would be around 275 lb. I haven’t done much squatting in the past few months and I knew I was going to be rusty. I started to warm up and worked up to 240 lb. I felt different during my squats. My form and movement felt off. I focused on keeping perfect form which helped. I was hoping it was rust and I could shake it off with the next lift. I added 265 lb. to the bar and started my set. It was a lot heavier than I thought but thankfully I had a lifting partner giving me encouragement. I finished the last rep and decided to stop there. Hopefully, my strength comes back in the coming months.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 25 Minutes

25 sit ups
3 rope climbs
Run (400 m)

This workout was going to be tough on the legs. 400 m is not a long distance but it was going to hurt after that squat session. We decided to split the reps in alternating rounds. Sets of five for the sit ups and alternating reps on the rope climbs. One round, one person would do five more sit ups and rope climbs and then alternate between partners. I decided to do the rope climbs while my wife decided to scale.

Our goal for the workout was to finish at least five rounds, A pace of five minutes per round was achievable but we would have to push the run. The first round went well, we zipped through the movements fairly easily. The second round went the same but we started having trouble on the the third round. The sit-ups were quick but I had to take a break on the rope climbs. I have a slight fear of heights and I had to catch my breath and calm myself before attempting the reps. We also took more time on the run, taking a break after 200 m. We would walk for about 10-15 seconds before finishing the run portion.

This continued into the fourth round as well. We started our fifth round at four minutes to time cap. Finishing the round was going to be hard, but we were going to try our best. We breezed through the sit ups but I had to take a minute before the rope climbs. We finished our reps and started the run with about a minute left. We were exhausted and tried our best but we were short of our five round goal. We hit the time with only 100 m finished. It was a great workout but that run killed us.

I knew I would not be able to do this workout Rx. 135 lb. back squats are not too heavy but 203 reps is a lot. I talked to my coach and he suggested scaling to 115 lb. After doing a short warm up, I was ready to start this workout. My goal was to keep a steady pace and finish each round under five minutes.

During the workout, the run was consistent. I was able to keep a steady pace, even into the later rounds. It wasn’t the run that was giving me issues, it was the back squats. I started to first round at 115 lb. and broke up the sets into 10, 10 and 9. This worked well for the first two rounds but by the third, I had to take off 20 lb. I was able to sustain this for two more rounds until I dropped the weight altogether and did air squats. The time cap was coming up and I had to scale in order to finish. At this point I was breaking up the air squats into sets of 10, 10 and 9 and I kept up this pace until the end of the workout. I finished the workout at 44:00.

Friday

Alternating EMOM: 6 Minutes

15 wall balls (20 lb.)
15 burpees

This was a fun warm up. I was able to finish all reps under 45 seconds and get 15 seconds of rest. Started to get very difficult around the last two rounds.

WOD – For Time

5K Row

This was my first time rowing a 5K. The longest I’ve done in one sitting was a 2K and I didn’t know how it was going to go. I started off slow, keeping a pace of 2:10/500m. The first 1000m was not bad and I was able to finish it under 4:20. As I moved closer to 2,500m I could feel my legs start to fatigue. I eased up my pace to about 2:20/500m and tried to keep my pulls consistent. At 4,000m I could feel the energy slowly drain away. I tried to stay focused and keep steady pulls as I watched the monitor increase. I was able to hold on and finished at 22:28. Now I have a goal to shoot for in the next rowing session.